Guys, can you believe it? Summer is coming to an end and we have to think about back to school shopping!! This time last year, I had no clue what we were doing, but now entering our second year in the Catholic system, I know exactly what we need! Last weekend, the four of us went shopping to get Little Monkey’s wardrobe Catholic School ready and we have a few tips to share when it comes to shopping for school uniforms.

Disclosure : This post is part of the YummyMummyClub.ca and Carter’s | OshKosh and #CartersOshKosh #Kidsentials sponsored program. I received compensation but, as always, opinions are totally mine! 

 

I know some families go a bit crazy with back to school shopping but we decided to take a couple steps to evaluate exactly what was needed and what could be re-used. I did purge a fair bit of worn out items and stained white pieces, but noticed that we had quite a collection of navy blue clothes that were still in great condition, most of which actually came from Carter’s | OshKosh B’gosh. You may recall that Little Monkey once modeled for them and that were huge fans of this brand that specializes in young children’s apparel (newborns to size 14). Carter’s | OshKosh offers one-stop-shopping, with head-to-toe dressing and mix and match options, making back to school shopping easy! We found everything we needed, including shoes and hair clips!!

 

If your child is entering the Catholic School system and has white and/or navy blue uniform requirements, here are some tips to keep in mind.

• Buy navy blue items as much as possible. I was shocked when the bright white shirts came home stained with paint marks. Smocks aren’t easily available in Little Monkey’s classroom is what I learned!
• Stock up on layers – think leggings, boleros, tights. This is especially important if you have a girl who loves to wear dresses in the winter months!
• Keep in mind that a majority of the school year is during the colder months and so long thick pants and long sleeve dresses are beauty finds!
• Ignore the skirts that come with built in shorts or rompers. We found these to be frustrating during the winter months when we’d have to layer tights underneath.. made bathroom runs difficult for the kindergarten kids. Instead opt for regular skirts and ensure they wear pants underneath. We especially love the sparkly navy blue ones we found this year!!
• Avoid 100% cotton items…unless you love ironing! I love the shirts and dresses that are a mix of cotton and spandex as the items stretch (increasing life span) and are wrinkle free, ensuring that I’m not THAT lazy parent who sends her kids to school in wrinkled clothing!
• Send your LEAST favourite uniform pieces in a Ziploc bag during the first day of school. These will be kept at school for emergency situations, like peeing accidentally! I’m quite certain Little Monkey ‘accidentally’ peed in the playground one day because she wanted to wear the sparkly white t shirt that were left at school!
• Buy indoor and outdoor shoes. Teachers may insist on keeping kids’ indoor shoes at school for the year and of course you’ll want to send them to school in good running shoes or boots. Also, kids’ feet grow quickly and you should know what to look for when buying shoes for them (click here for our tips).
• Be adventurous! You can buy items like this AWESOME dress as it meets the guidelines of white and navy blue without being boring!!

 

 

As you get ready for the new school year, remember that Carter’s | OshKosh is a great spot when it comes to shopping as they offer classics at amazing values for style-conscious families. If you’re planning to shop at Carter’s | OshKosh, be sure to enter the #CartersOshKosh #Kidsentials contest for a chance to win 1 of 6 $500 Carter’s | OshKosh gift cards. There’s a new winner every month!

Plus, opt-in to receive emails when you enter and you’ll receive a 20% off coupon!

 

 

 

What are your favourite #CartersOshKosh #Kidsentials? Share with us! Happy back to school shopping!!!